One of Russell E. Simmons Jr.’s final decisions as circuit court judge could be a landmark one. Simmons, who is retiring on Aug. 31, has been asked to rule on the constitutionality of the state’s marriage laws.

The issue landed in his court in March when Frederick Michael Borman filed for divorce from Larry Kevin Pyles-Borman. The two men were married in Iowa, but they were residents of Roane County.

New or consolidated high schools could be in Roane County’s future. The Board of Education voted this month to start the process of selecting an architect to study the needs of the school system and recommend a long range plan for replacing or consolidating high schools.

“This is a step forward and this will give us some insight with the aging facilities we have, and hopefully get on track for some type of building program,” Board Member Rob Jago said.

Kingston is becoming a haven for Iron Men — the kind in running shorts, swimsuits and cycling shoes.

The city hosted triathlon-style races for the third year in June, including a sprint triathlon and a half-Iron Man on June 14, and a kid’s triathlon the week before. The spring events included a 600-meter sprint, a 16-mile bike race, and a 6-kilometer run, while the half-Iron Man featured a mile swim, a 56-mile bike race and a half marathon.

A Chattanooga man reportedly told police that his girlfriend tasered him in the genitals over the weekend. Police couldn’t determine a primary aggressor and arrested both John Wesley Shingleton and Sonia Gayle Greene.

According to a Roane County Sheriff’s Office report, the incident occurred at the Crosseyed Cricket campground on June 20.

Brian Lee Bruno, a 21-year-old Knoxville man, is charged with two counts of statutory rape in Roane County Criminal Court.

Statutory rape is a Class E felony, which is the lowest on the felony scale in Tennessee. Bruno was indicted by the grand jury on June 17. He turned himself in the next day, according to the Roane County Sheriff’s Office.

The alleged crimes occurred between May 1, 2012 and June 1, 2012. The indictment said the alleged victim was four years younger than Bruno at the time.